Me & Mr. Darcy

Did you ever have a crush on any particular actor, singer, dance, or any kind of artists, or even fictional hero, so much that you wish that they are there in your reality? And that you dream of being with him/her? Ahem.. Admit it or not, we all have that sort of fantasy. It would be great if that wish or dream comes true, wouldn't it? *wink*

In Me & Mr. Darcy, the modern retelling of Pride & Prejudice by Alexandra Potter, such wish comes true to one lucky Emily Albright. Emily is a bookstore manager of a family-owned bookstore in New York. She is a die-hard romantics and has read Pride & Prejudice for the umpteenth times since young. After a string of bad dates and feeling hopeless towards modern day gentlemen, if they can even be called as such, she decides to go on a book tour to Jane Austen's country, instead of running off to Mexico for a wild week of men and margaritas for the New Year with Stella, her BFF.

Her excitement is a bit dashed when she discovers that the book tour group consist mainly of older women, except for one Spike Hargreaves, a journalist who is sent by his paper, The Daily Times to write an article on why the fictional Mr. Darcy has earned the title of Man Most Women Would Love to Date. Spike is a total antithesis of Mr. Darcy; unkempt with a slight belly which can be caught on sight here and now, foul mouthed and certainly unchivalrous. Compared to the literacy perfection of Mr. Darcy, Spike has no chance of capturing the heart of  the heroin, though Emily thought he is cute, before they got off in the wrong footing.

Just when Emily thought this is gonna be a dull and boring tour she embarked on, something great yet mysterious happened... She comes face-to-face with Mr. Darcy. Yup, it's Mr. Darcy, for real...

What would you do if your fantasy dream date is there in your reality?

Believe it or not, I finished this novel in a mere 3 days. Could be shorter if I'm not working for the most part of the days. I think it is quite a clever mashing of the most classic ever love story and modern day ones. It is also highly entertaining; you will find yourself giggling as you flip through the pages. And I couldn't help but felt warm on some part of the stories. Some parts, however, could have been better. But, for the sake of just wanting to read a light and entertaining novel, these can be discounted.

So, back to the question, what would you do if your fantasy dream date is there in your reality? Reading this novel got me thinking about this question for quite some time. Maybe I should start drafting a short story about it. ;)

The Greatest Love Stor(ies) of All Times

If you have not heard of Jane Austen, then at least you must have heard of Pride and Prejudice. Nope? Because you don't fancy reading? Then look up for the movie or BBC adaptations. If you are a drool for romantic stories, Pride and Prejudice is one that must not be missed. Read it, watch it.

I have yet to read the classic myself, swear to do it soon. But for you metropolitan busy bees, if reading a more than 100 pages of paperback puts you off, go first for the movie adaptation directed by Joe Wright (known for directing the more well known movies, Atonement and Hanna), starred Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen. Then, you can at least get an idea of why it is known as the greatest love story in English literature of all times.

Pride and Prejudice is a novel by Jane Austen, first published in 1813. It is a novel of the genre of manners and satire. It is more than just a story of romance between two individuals. It shows how pride and prejudice can impact and sometimes cloud our judgements and decisions.

Having the book compressed into a two hours and nine minutes of screen time, I have a feeling that the movie might not be able to capture the depth and complexity of the entire story though. Hence the determination to read the paperback, as it allows for spaces for my own imagination. And for those who fancy the thrill of some actions, this movie could be a quite a bore. And here, Mr. Darcy, this tall, dark, insanely handsome, intelligent, and wealthy character who is supposedly the dream date and as Alexandra Potter puts it, the wet dream, of ladies of all ages, did not live up to the expectation. All Macfadyen did was just putting up a sad and solemn face. He is not dashing at all.

And speaking of a dashing young chap, there is another movie that I would highly recommend for you to see, and probably a good excuse to chew on some sweet, caramel-ed popcorns in the mean time. Look up for Becoming Jane, a movie inspired by the early live of our beloved author of all times - Jane Austen, which was directed by Julian Jarrold, starring Anne Hathaway and my favorite Scottish actor, James McAvoy.

The movie might not have accurately portray the bits of life of the young Jane Austen as this movie is not a biopic. But from the movie you could find out, finally, how a woman from the 19th century, where being knowledgeable, let alone writing a book, was considered a misfortune and damned, produced the greatest love story of all times in English literature. Her love story is the very inspiration for Pride and Prejudice.

Hathaway and McAvoy were lauded for the chemistry between their characters by movie critics, and I could not be more agreeable to the praise. Furthermore, I would say it is not as dull as the movie adaptation of Pride and Pride. At least you will find some humors here and there that will make you giggle through the entire movie. And, Tom Lefroy is cute!

So, here you go, two lovey-dovey movies you can look forward to see if you want to have a good time cuddling with your love one. =D